Waterfowl decoy motion system and method

ABSTRACT

A waterfowl decoy continuous motion system is provided. A self-propelled floating decoy is tethered to a submerged line supported below the surface of a body of water by stakes driven into the water bottom. The decoy has a skeg attached to the bottom of the decoy. The skeg is positioned at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis extending along the length of the body of the decoy. The tether is slidably attached to the submerged line, and a swivel located on the tether allows the decoy to rotate freely. The decoy is guided by the line as it moves across the surface of the water. When the tether reaches a stopper near each end of the line, the decoy makes a 180-degree turn in an arcing path and then travels in the opposite direction. The decoy repeats this process in a continuous loop.

CROSS REFERENCES

The present application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S.application Ser. No. 14/577,882, filed on Dec. 19, 2014, currentlypending, which application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers generally to a waterfowl decoy motionsystem and method and, more specifically, to a system and method forcontinuously moving a self-propelled floating waterfowl decoy along adefined path.

BACKGROUND

Hunters often hunt for waterfowl over some type of water body such as apond, lake, or marshy area. These hunters typically hunt from a blindand attract waterfowl by placing a number of floating waterfowl decoysin the water in a close enough proximity to attract waterfowl to withinshooting range of the hunter. These decoys are typically tethered to aweight and remain stationary in the water or only move wherever the windand current may naturally move the decoy within the limits of the lengthof the tether. Such decoys are often insufficient to attract waterfowl,particularly after the first few days of a hunting season, whenwaterfowl typically become wary of decoys.

In order to more effectively attract waterfowl, a number of decoysystems have been developed to give movement to a decoy in order to makethe decoy appear to be a live bird paddling along the surface of thewater. For instance, some prior art decoy systems provide for a remotecontrolled decoy that the operator may move in any desired direction.Other systems provide for an apparatus that pulls a decoy along apre-determined path using submerged lines or belts guided by a system ofpulleys. However, there are a number of problems with such decoymovement systems. Remote controlled systems are inconvenient to operatewhile hunting. Other systems are difficult and time-consuming to set upand are thus not easy to move to a new hunting location.

Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a decoy movement system thatis simple and convenient to operate while hunting. Furthermore, a needexists in the art for a decoy movement system that is easy andconvenient to set up and to move to new hunting locations.

SUMMARY

A preferred embodiment of the invention is directed generally to awaterfowl decoy motion system and method and, more specifically, to asystem and method for continuously moving a self-propelled floatingwaterfowl decoy along a defined path. The path is approximately definedby a submerged line attached at each end to two stakes driven into thewater bottom. The stakes support the line above the water bottom butbelow the surface of the water. The line is attached to the stakes suchthat the line is substantially taut. A tether connects the floatingdecoy to the submerged line. The end of the tether attached to the linecomprises a loop around the line such that the tether can easily slidealong the length of the line. The tether also comprises at least oneswivel such that the decoy can turn around freely and travel back andforth along the length of the line.

The self-propelled decoy comprises a submersible thruster attached tothe bottom of the decoy such that the thruster is submerged beneath thesurface of the water when the decoy is floating in an upright position.The thruster is powered by batteries housed within the body of thedecoy.

In one embodiment, the thruster comprises a propeller and a shaft. Theshaft is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis extending along thelength of the body of the decoy. The decoy further comprises a skegattached to the bottom of the decoy. Unlike traditional skegs used inboats and other floating vessels, which are typically parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the vessel, the skeg of the present invention ispositioned at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis by at least onedegree. Preferably, the skeg is offset by an angle of about 20 degreesto about 50 degrees and, more preferably, by about 30 degrees to about45 degrees. The position of the skeg is fixed during use and causes thedecoy to turn toward the left or the right when the decoy is in motion,depending on the orientation of the skeg.

When the thruster is activated, the decoy is propelled forward and turnsto the left or right, causing the decoy to move away from the submergedline until substantially all of the slack is removed from the tether.The decoy is then guided by the tether attached to the submerged lineand travels in a substantially straight line as the tether slides alongthe submerged line. Due to the offset angle of the skeg, the decoy ispushed to one side of the submerged line. Thus, the decoy does nottravel directly above the submerged line but instead travels along apath substantially parallel to the submerged line. The distance betweenthe submerged line and the parallel path of the decoy is determined bythe length of the tether and the depth of the submerged line below thesurface of the water. The distance can be varied by varying the lengthof the tether and the depth of the submerged line.

The system further comprises two stoppers attached to the submergedline. Each stopper is attached substantially near each end of thesubmerged line. The decoy travels along the length of the submerged lineuntil the tether reaches one of the stoppers. When the tether reaches astopper, the force of the tether pulling on the decoy causes the decoyto turn toward the submerged line and make a complete 180-degree turn.The swivel allows the decoy to make the turn without twisting the tetherline. Once the decoy turns around, the tether begins to slide along thesubmerged line in the opposite direction. The decoy then travels in theopposite direction until it reaches the stopper at the opposite end ofthe submerged line. The process then repeats, and the decoy travels backand forth in a continuous loop.

As the decoy travels back and forth between the stoppers, it creates awake similar to the wake created by a live bird paddling across a watersurface. Thus, from the view of waterfowl flying overhead, the decoyappears to be a live bird. In a preferred embodiment, at least oneadditional decoy is connected to the self-propelled decoy by a rigidwire. Thus, the self-propelled decoy pulls any additional decoys as itmoves across the surface of the water. The additional decoys also createa wake, thereby giving the appearance of two or more live birds paddlingacross the water. Having multiple moving decoys increases theeffectiveness of the system in attracting waterfowl.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a decoymovement system that provides life-like movement for one or more decoysthat is effective in attracting waterfowl. Another object of the presentinvention is to provide a decoy movement system that is simple andconvenient to operate while hunting. Furthermore, another object of thepresent invention is to provide a decoy movement system that is easy andconvenient to set up and to move to new hunting locations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2C is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of aself-propelled waterfowl decoy configured for use with the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of a preferred embodiment of aself-propelled waterfowl decoy configured for use with the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of a preferred embodiment of aself-propelled waterfowl decoy configured for use with the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claimsbelow, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particularfeatures, including method steps, of the invention. It is to beunderstood that the disclosure of the invention in this specificationincludes all possible combinations of such particular features. Forexample, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of aparticular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim,that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combinationwith/or in the context of other particular aspects of the embodiments ofthe invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used hereinto mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionallypresent. For example, an article “comprising” components A, B, and C cancontain only components A, B, and C, or can contain not only componentsA, B, and C, but also one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or moredefined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order orsimultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), andthe method can include one or more other steps which are carried outbefore any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, orafter all the defined steps (except where the context excludes thatpossibility).

Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-5 illustrate preferred embodimentsof the invention. A preferred embodiment of the invention is directed toa system and method for continuously moving a self-propelled floatingwaterfowl decoy along a defined path. The system provides life-likemovement of one or more decoys across the surface of a water body overwhich a hunter is hunting waterfowl. Each moving decoy creates a wakesimilar to the wake created by live waterfowl paddling across thesurface of a water body. By providing life-like movement, the systemeffectively attracts waterfowl flying overhead to an area withinshooting range of the hunter.

The system is most effective in relatively shallow water bodies such asponds or marshy areas frequented by waterfowl. The system can be set upquickly and easily, thereby allowing a hunter to easily move the systemto a new hunting location. In a preferred embodiment, the system may beavailable as a kit comprising a self-propelled floating waterfowl decoy2, a main line 4, stakes 6 for supporting the main line 4, a tether 10for attaching the decoy 2 to the main line 4, and stoppers 8 that can beattached to the main line 4.

To set up the system for hunting, two stakes 6 are driven into the waterbottom 20 at a selected distance from each other. This distanceapproximates the distance that the decoy 2 will travel across thesurface 18 of the water body. In a preferred embodiment, the stakes 6are set at least 20 feet from each other, though any distance may beselected depending on how far the hunter desires the decoy 2 to travelacross the surface 18 of the water. The decoy system is configured suchthat the decoy 2 travels continuously back and forth along a pathapproximately represented by the distance between the two stakes 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, each end of the main line 4 is then attachedto one of the stakes 6. The line 4 is attached to the stakes 6 such thatline 4 is substantially taut. The line 4 is used to guide theself-propelled decoy 2 back and forth between the stakes 6. Thus, thehunter selects the length of the line 4 and the distance between thestakes 6 to correspond to the distance and the approximate path that hewould like the decoy 2 to travel back and forth across the surface 18 ofthe water. The stakes 6 should be driven to a depth in the water bottom20 such that the stakes 6 are held firmly in place in order toadequately support the main line 4.

The main line 4 is supported by the stakes 6 above the water bottom 20but below the surface 18 of the water. In a preferred embodiment, theline 4 and the stakes 6 are configured such that the line 4 isapproximately one foot below the surface 18. The line 4 is preferablyattached to an attachment element 7 located at or near the top of thestake 6. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the stake 6 is driven into thewater bottom 20 to a depth where the top of the stake 6 is about onefoot below the surface 18. In this configuration, all of the componentsof the decoy system are submerged except for the decoy 2, thereby makingthe other system components difficult to see from above the surface 18of the water.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment element 7 on the stake 6comprises an eye or loop that the end of the line 4 can be tied to. Thestake 6 may optionally have multiple attachment elements located atvarious locations along the length of the stake 6. When setting up thesystem in a body of water, multiple attachment elements provides thehunter with added flexibility to account for variables such as the depthof the water and the firmness of the water bottom 20. Although thepreferred embodiment is configured such that the line 4 is attached tothe top of the stake 6 at a depth of about one foot below the surface 18of the water, it should be understood by one skilled in the art that theline 4 and the stakes 6 may be positioned at any depth and still fallwithin the scope of the invention. For instance, in very shallow bodiesof water, the top of the stakes 6 may breach the surface 18 of thewater, though this configuration is not preferred. In alternativeembodiments, the kit may be sold with multiple sets of stakes of variouslengths suitable for water bodies of various depths. In anotheralternative embodiment, the line 4 may be attached to any stationarystructure available. For instance, the line 4 may be attached to asubmerged log or tree trunk. In this embodiment, the present inventionmay be effectively practiced by replacing one or both stakes with anyavailable fixed or stationary structure.

Once the line 4 is set in a substantially taut position below thesurface 18 of the water, the self-propelled decoy 2 is connected to thesubmerged line 4 by a tether 10. In a preferred embodiment, the tether10 is a thin flexible line such as string or fishing line. The tether 10has two ends and comprises at least one swivel 12 such that the decoy 2can freely rotate in any direction when tethered to the line 4. One endof the tether 10 is slidably attached to the submerged line 4 such thatthe tether 10 can slide freely along the line 4. In a preferredembodiment, the tether 10 is slidably attached to the line 4 by a swivel12 having a closable clasp at one end. The clasp is sized such that itfits loosely around the line 4, which allows the tether 10 to freelyslide along the length of the line 4 as the self-propelled decoy 2 movesalong the surface 18 of the water. The clasp preferably comprises ametal material having a smooth outer surface so that the clasp slidessmoothly along the line 4.

The other end of the tether 10 is securely attached to the decoy 2. In apreferred embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 3, the decoy 2 has anattachment point 30 comprising an eye or loop located near the front endof the decoy 2. In a preferred embodiment, the tether 10 is securelyattached to the decoy 2 by a swivel 12 having a closable clasp at oneend. Although a second swivel is not necessary, it helps to ensuresmooth rotation of the decoy 2 and thus is preferred. In an alternativeembodiment, the tether 10 may be simply tied to the attachment point 30on the decoy 2.

The decoy 2 is a self-propelled floating decoy. In a preferredembodiment, the decoy 2 comprises a propulsion device attached to theexterior of the decoy 2. In another preferred embodiment, as illustratedin FIG. 3, the propulsion device is a submersible thruster 22 attachedto the bottom of the decoy 2 such that the thruster 22 is submergedbeneath the surface 18 of the water when the decoy 2 is floating in anupright position. The thruster 22 comprises a propeller 24 attached to amotor 25 via a shaft 28. In a preferred embodiment, the thruster 22 ispowered by batteries housed within the body of the decoy 2. Thebatteries can be inserted and removed from the decoy 2 through anopening 26 in the top of the decoy 2. In a preferred embodiment, thethruster 22 is activated by a switch 27 located on the exterior surfaceof the decoy 2. The propeller 24 may optionally be surrounded by ahousing in order to protect the propeller 24 from hitting underwaterdebris and from becoming entangled in underwater materials it mayencounter, such as seaweed or discarded fishing line.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the propeller shaft 28 is generally parallelto a longitudinal axis 32 extending along the length of the body of thedecoy 2. Also shown in FIG. 5, the decoy further comprises a skeg 40attached to the bottom of the decoy 2. Unlike traditional skegs used inboats and other floating vessels, which are typically parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the vessel, the skeg 40 of the present invention ispositioned at an angle 34 offset from the longitudinal axis 32 by atleast one degree. Preferably, the skeg 40 is offset by an angle 34 ofabout 20 degrees to about 50 degrees and, more preferably, by about 30degrees to about 45 degrees. The position of the skeg 40 is fixed duringuse and causes the decoy 2 to turn toward the left or the right when thedecoy is in motion, depending on the orientation of the skeg 40. FIG. 5illustrates one example of a skeg 40 configured in accordance withpresent invention. In some embodiments, the offset angle 34 may beincreased or decreased.

In other embodiments, the orientation of the skeg 40 may be reversedsuch that the skeg 40 is offset from the longitudinal axis 32 toward theopposite side of the decoy 2 as compared to the example configurationshown in FIG. 5. Reversing the orientation in this manner will reversethe direction that the decoy 2 turns.

When the thruster 22 is activated, the decoy 2 is propelled forward andturns to the left or right, depending on the orientation of the skeg 40,causing the decoy 2 to move away from the submerged main line 4 untilsubstantially all of the slack is removed from the tether 10. The decoy2 is then guided by the tether 10 11 attached to the main line 4 andtravels in a substantially straight line as the tether 10 slides alongthe submerged main line 4. Due to the offset angle 34 of the skeg 40,the decoy 2 is pushed to one side of the submerged main line 4. Thus, asshown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the decoy 2 does not travel directly above thesubmerged main line 4 but instead travels along a path substantiallyparallel to the line 4. The distance between the line 4 and the parallelpath of the decoy 2 is determined by the length of the tether 10 and thedepth of the submerged line 4 below the surface 18 of the water. Thus,this distance can be varied by varying the length of the tether 10 andthe depth of the submerged line 4. In a preferred embodiment, the kitmay be sold with multiple tethers of various lengths in order to providethe hunter with greater flexibility in setting up the apparatus.

The decoy movement system further comprises two stoppers 8 attached tothe line 4. Each stopper 8 is attached substantially near each end ofthe line 4. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, the decoy 2 travels along thelength of the submerged line 4 until the tether 10 reaches one of thestoppers 8. When the tether 10 reaches a stopper 8, the force of thetether 10 pulling on the decoy 2 causes the decoy 2 to begin turningtoward the submerged line 4. The decoy 2 continues to turn along anarcing path until it is facing in the opposite direction. The swivel 12allows the decoy 2 to make a complete 180-degree turn without twistingthe tether line 10. Once the decoy 2 turns around, the tether 10 thenbegins to slide along the submerged line 4 in the opposite direction.The decoy 2 then travels along the submerged line 4 in the oppositedirection until it reaches the stopper 8 at the opposite end of thesubmerged line 4. The process then repeats, thereby causing the decoy 2to travel back and forth in a continuous loop.

The offset angle 34 of the skeg 40 may be directed to the left side orthe right side of the decoy 2. In one embodiment, the offset angle 34 ofthe skeg 40 is adjustable so that the decoy 2 will turn either to theleft or the right when in motion, as desired by the user. Changing theorientation of the skeg 40 allows the user to control whether the decoy2 travels in a generally clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In theexample configuration shown in FIG. 5, the orientation of the skeg 40will cause the decoy 2 to turn to the right when the decoy 2 is in anupright position and moving forward across the surface 18 of the water.This orientation will cause the decoy 2 to move in a continuouscounterclockwise path, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. In a preferredembodiment, the offset angle 34 can be adjusted for preference and forspecific operating conditions. The skeg 40 is preferably configured suchthat the angle 34 of the skeg 40 can be adjusted by manually rotatingthe skeg 40. In this embodiment, the skeg 40 is configured so that itcan be locked in place such that offset angle 34 remains fixed duringuse.

In a preferred embodiment, the stoppers 8 comprise a piece of rubber orcork having a slot such that the line 4 can be inserted into the slotfor attaching the stopper 8 to the line 4. The slot is sized such thatthe stopper 8 can be firmly attached to a particular type of line 4. Thestopper 8 can also be easily removed from the line 4 and re-positionedto a different location on the line 4. In an alternative embodiment, thestopper 8 may comprise a clamp that can be securely attached to the line4. In another alternative embodiment, the stopper 8 may simply be a knotin the line 4. Alternatively, the present invention may be practicedwithout attaching a stopper 8 to the line 4 if the line 4 is attached tothe top of the stake 6. In this case, the stake 6 itself may function asa stopper, though this configuration is not the preferred embodiment.

In a preferred embodiment, each stopper 8 is attached to the line 4 at adistance from the stake 6 greater than the length of the tether 10. Thisconfiguration prevents the stakes 6 from interfering with the movementof the decoy 2 in cases where the top of the stake 6 extends above thepoint where the line 4 is attached to the stake 6. In addition, thelength of the tether 10 should be somewhat longer than the depth of thesubmerged line 4 below the water surface 18 so that the decoy 2 makes asmooth, wide turn when it reaches one of the stoppers 8.

The main line 4 may be made of any flexible line such as string, rope,cord, or fishing line. In a preferred embodiment, the line 4 comprisesan elastic cord, preferably having a diameter less than about ¼ inch.When the tether 10 contacts one of the stoppers 8, the elastic cordfunctions as a shock absorber that allows the decoy 2 to turn in asmooth motion. In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of theelastic cord is smooth in order to reduce friction between the cord andthe tether 10 so that the tether 10 slides smoothly along the line 4. Inan alternative embodiment, the line 4 comprises fishing line. Thefishing line may be monofilament line, braided line, fluorocarbon line,or any other type of line typically used for fishing.

As the decoy 2 travels back and forth between the stoppers 8, it createsa wake similar to the wake created by a live bird paddling across awater surface. Thus, from the view of waterfowl flying overhead, thedecoy 2 appears to be a live bird. In a preferred embodiment, at leastone additional decoy 14 is connected to the self-propelled decoy 2 by arigid wire 16. Thus, the self-propelled decoy 2 pulls any additionaldecoys 14 as it moves across the surface 18 of the water. Eachadditional decoy 14 also creates a wake, thereby giving the appearanceof two or more live birds paddling across the water. Having multiplemoving decoys increases the effectiveness of the system in attractingwaterfowl.

In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, two or moreadditional decoys 14 are utilized. In this embodiment, a rigid wirespreader 16 is used to connect multiple decoys 14 to the self-propelleddecoy 2 in a fixed formation. Thus, each additional decoy 14 is pulledbehind the self-propelled decoy 2 but remains in a fixed positionrelative to all of the other decoys. In a preferred embodiment, the wirespreader 16 is rigid enough to keep the additional decoys 14 in fixedpositions but is also bendable such that the hunter can adjust thepositions of the additional decoys 14 to a desired decoy formation. Thewire spreader 16 is preferably connected to the rear end of the decoy 2and to the front end of each additional decoy 14. In a preferredembodiment, the wire spreader 16 is configured such that it remainsbelow the surface 18 of the water during use and is thus not easilyvisible from above the surface 18 of the water.

To operate the decoy motion system of the present invention, the hunterfirst sets up the stakes 6 and the main line 4 in a body of water in aconfiguration as described herein. The hunter then selects a tether 10of proper length depending on the depth of the submerged line 4. One endof the tether 10 is then slidably attached to the submerged line 4. Theother end is securely attached to a self-propelled decoy 2 having athruster 22 and a skeg 40 positioned such that the skeg 40 is offsetfrom a longitudinal axis 32 extending along the length of the decoy 2 byan angle 34 of at least one degree, and preferably by an angle 34 ofabout 30 degrees to about 45 degrees. Once the decoy 2 is tethered tothe line 4, the hunter simply moves the switch 27 into the “on”position, thereby causing the floating decoy 2 to move back and forth ina continuous loop. The hunter may then position himself in a nearbyblind and wait for the moving decoy system to attract flying waterfowl.Operation of the system requires no further action by the hunter. In apreferred embodiment, additional decoys 14 will be attached to theself-propelled decoy 2 to provide greater attraction to waterfowl flyingoverhead.

It is understood that versions of the invention may come in differentforms and embodiments. Additionally, it is understood that one of skillin the art would appreciate these various forms and embodiments asfalling within the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A waterfowl decoy motion system, said system comprising: a. a waterfowl decoy comprising a buoyant body, said decoy having a propulsion device attached to the decoy for moving the decoy along the surface of a body of water, said decoy further comprising a skeg positioned at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis extending along the length of the body of the decoy by at least one degree; b. a length of flexible line having two ends, each end securely attached to a stationary structure such that the line is substantially taut, said line disposed below the surface of the water; and, c. a tether having two ends, the first end slidably attached to the line, the second end securely attached to the decoy, said tether comprising at least one swivel such that the decoy can freely rotate in any direction.
 2. The system of claim 1, said stationary structure comprising a stake driven into the water bottom, said stake configured such that the line can be securely attached to the stake at a point below the surface of the water.
 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising two stoppers attached to the line for stopping the forward motion of the decoy, each stopper attached substantially near each end of the line.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the skeg is positioned at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis by about 20 degrees to about 50 degrees.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the skeg is positioned at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis by about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees.
 6. The system of claim 1, said propulsion device comprising a submersible thruster attached to the bottom of the decoy.
 7. The system of claim 1, said tether comprising two swivels, each swivel disposed substantially near each end of the tether.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional decoy tethered to the decoy having the propulsion device such that the at least one additional decoy is pulled behind the decoy having the propulsion device.
 9. The system of claim 8, said tether connecting the at least one additional decoy to the decoy having the propulsion device comprising a rigid fixture such that the at least one additional decoy remains in a fixed position relative to the decoy having the propulsion device.
 10. A waterfowl decoy motion system, said system comprising: a. a waterfowl decoy comprising a buoyant body, said decoy having a propulsion device attached to the decoy for moving the decoy along the surface of a body of water, said decoy further comprising a skeg positioned at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis extending along the length of the body of the decoy by about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees; b. two stakes driven into the water bottom, each stake having at least one attachment element disposed above the water bottom and below the surface of the water; c. a length of flexible line having two ends, each end securely attached to an attachment element of each stake, respectively, such that the line is substantially taut, said line disposed below the surface of the water; d. two stoppers attached to the line for stopping the forward motion of the decoy, each stopper attached substantially near each end of the line; and, e. a tether having two ends, the first end slidably attached to the line, the second end securely attached to the decoy, said tether comprising at least one swivel such that the decoy can freely rotate in any direction.
 11. The system of claim 10, said propulsion device comprising a submersible thruster attached to the bottom of the decoy.
 12. The system of claim 10, said tether comprising two swivels, each swivel disposed substantially near each end of the tether.
 13. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one additional decoy tethered to the decoy having the propulsion device such that the at least one additional decoy is pulled behind the decoy having the propulsion device.
 14. The system of claim 13, said tether connecting the at least one additional decoy to the decoy having the propulsion device comprising a rigid fixture such that the at least one additional decoy remains in a fixed position relative to the decoy having the propulsion device.
 15. A method of continuously moving a waterfowl decoy along a desired path, said method comprising the following steps: a. providing a waterfowl decoy comprising a buoyant body, said decoy having a propulsion device attached to the decoy for moving the decoy along the surface of a body of water, said decoy further comprising a skeg positioned at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis extending along the length of the body of the decoy by at least one degree; b. driving two stakes into the water bottom at a desired distance from each other, each stake having at least one attachment element disposed above the water bottom and below the surface of the water; c. securely attaching each end of a length of flexible line to an attachment element of each stake, respectively, such that the line is substantially taut, said line disposed below the surface of the water; d. attaching two stoppers to the line for stopping the forward motion of the decoy, each stopper attached substantially near each end of the line; e. connecting the decoy to the line with a tether, said tether having two ends, the first end slidably attached to the line, the second end securely attached to the decoy, said tether comprising at least one swivel such that the decoy can freely rotate in any direction; and, f. activating the propulsion device such that the decoy moves back and forth in a continuous loop guided by the tether as the tether slides along the line.
 16. The method of claim 15, said propulsion device comprising a submersible thruster attached to the bottom of the decoy.
 17. The method of claim 15, said tether comprising two swivels, each swivel disposed substantially near each end of the tether.
 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of attaching at least one additional decoy by tethering said additional decoy to the decoy having the propulsion device such that the at least one additional decoy is pulled behind the decoy having the propulsion device.
 19. The method of claim 18, said tether connecting the at least one additional decoy to the decoy having the propulsion device comprising a rigid fixture such that the at least one additional decoy remains in a fixed position relative to the decoy having the propulsion device. 